Ayrshire Scotland Business News is provided by the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle, an association of some of the top companies in Ayrshire. We publicise our members, and celebrate and report the wealth and rich diversity of entrepreneurial and business excellence that abounds here in Ayrshire, south-west Scotland. For further information e-mail Murdoch@eliteayrshire.com

The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle

Friday, 28 February 2014

Leading independent Scottish property consultancy CKD Galbraith is offering for sale Borland Mill, an original 18th century grain mill set amidst its own grounds of approximately 13 acres and overlooking the surrounding unspoilt countryside.

Originally part of the historic Dumfries House Estate, the living accommodation and mill form part of one building and extend to over 5,000 square feet in total. Whilst the mill is now used mainly for storage it offers considerable scope for further development (subject to planning).

The house itself is well proportioned and offers a large dining kitchen with utility room, a cosy sitting room with log burning stove and a bright living room with lovely views and doors to the garden at the rear.

The master bedroom is en suite and opens to a patio at the rear. A family bathroom completes the accommodation on the ground floor. Two specious bedrooms are situated on the first floor and there is access to an attic bedroom and store.

A delightful garden lies to the rear of the house planted with a variety of trees and shrubs whilst ample parking is provided at the front. Borland Mill is very private and set within its own grounds of approximately 13 acres which includes some mixed woodland and four grazing paddocks. There are also separate outbuildings including a workshop, general purpose shed and garaging as well as two greenhouses and a potting shed.

Borland Mill offers considerable potential for a variety of uses and the opportunity to develop a historic building which has formed part of local heritage for many years.

Thursday, 27 February 2014

The Leader of South Ayrshire Council has promised “sustained and obvious improvement” as the Accounts Commission publishes its findings today (Thursday 27 February 2014) on the Best Value audit report covering leadership and culture, performance management and scrutiny within the Council.

Councillor Bill McIntosh (pictured above) said the findings, which highlighted concerns in the Council’s ability to sustain continuous improvement in these areas, provided a road map for a journey that was already underway across the Council.

He added: “The Commission’s findings and the audit report are not a pleasant read – and neither should they be if there are issues we need to address. However, I do welcome the recognition that the performance of the Council services we deliver to our people and communities, day in and day out, raised no significant concerns.

“We’re here to serve the people of South Ayrshire and that will continue to be our number one priority as we tackle the challenges set out in the report head-on. We will do what’s needed – it’s as simple as that – and I’m very clear on what’s required, and expected, from both Councillors and officers across the Council.

“I’m confident we have the people and processes in place to address the Commission’s concerns and, by working together, we will deliver sustained and obvious improvement that genuinely makes a difference.

“The building blocks to achieve this are mostly in place – a review of our scrutiny arrangements is already underway, performance reporting mechanisms are being tightened up and our Council Plan will be considered by elected members at the Council meeting on 6 March. We’re also creating a dedicated improvement team – that was one of our budget decisions taken in December.

“We obviously have a challenging road to navigate. But, with the work already underway and the additional steps we’re putting in place, I’m certain we can fully embed a culture of improvement and come out stronger on the other side.”

Chief Executive Eileen Howat (pictured above) added: “While we take on board the Commission’s findings and concerns and are actively addressing these, I do want to emphasise the Commission’s recognition of the performance of our Council services. I also want to thank our staff for the work they do in delivering high quality services to our people and communities every day.

“We know the improvement work that needs to be done – in fact a lot of it is already going on. And I am determined this will be progressed in an effective and efficient way to ensure it delivers the right outcomes for the Council and the people we serve.

“This is a time for working together to ensure we provide the necessary stability, direction and leadership to build trust and confidence and deliver the future success of the Council. And there’s a collective commitment from members and officers to do just that.”

Councillor John McDowall (pictured above), Depute Leader of the Council, concluded: “We have a strong partnership administration working extremely well together to address the issues contained within the audit report. I have every confidence we are moving forward in the right direction and will make the significant progress needed to make a difference.”

South Ayrshire Council is a Founder Member of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle.

Wednesday, 26 February 2014

Leading independent Scottish property consultancy CKD Galbraith’s Ayr Office is offering for sale Muir of Auchenmade, a traditional farmhouse of considerable charm set within its own grounds of approximately 6 acres.

The property has undergone a careful renovation programme over recent years and offers excellent family accommodation with bright, well proportioned rooms and an excellent level of specification.

The accommodation is mainly on the ground floor although there are two double bedrooms on the first floor.

The farmhouse kitchen is the hub of the house and is fitted with an excellent range of country style units with quartz worktops, Rayburn stove and Karndean flooring. A utility room lies adjacent to the kitchen.

The drawing room is a wonderful entertaining space with a log burning stove and door to the decked terrace which faces south. Bi-folding doors open to a fabulous room currently used as games room and off this there is a gymnasium.

The dining room is a cosy room with a feature stone fireplace and log burner.

The south facing conservatory lies off the dining room and offers panoramic country views towards the Isle of Arran and access to the terrace. There is also a sitting room with an open fire.

The master bedroom is located on the ground floor and has a fully fitted dressing room and a shower room. A further bedroom and a bathroom complete the accommodation.

Muir of Auchenmade is approached by a private tarmac drive and overlooks its own gardens of approximately half an acre. A well tended lawn is a haven for playing children and is sheltered by various shrubs and fruit trees. There are several raised beds which are ideal for home-grown vegetables as well as a polytunnel and timber framed hen house. In addition there are two grazing paddocks of approximately five acres and two brick built stables. Adjoining the farmhouse is a large stone barn (about 44’ x 17’) which offers scope for a variety of uses.

Muir of Auchenmade offers all the benefits of county life yet is within easy reach of Glasgow and Glasgow Airport by road and rail and is just a few minutes drive from the amenities of Kilwinning.

Tuesday, 25 February 2014

FIVE Scottish trained horses were among the seven winners at the Kerr & Smith Group Raceday at Ayr Racecourse last Thursday.

[Pictured: Too Cool To Fool (2nd right) jumps the last on way to his win at Ayr Racecourse last Thursday.]

Jim Goldie and Nick Alexander both saddled doubles while Lucinda Russell was also on the score sheet.

Uplawmoor based Goldie landed a first and second race double with Titus Bolt (4/6 fav) and Too Cool To Fool (2/1 fav) both ridden by James Reveley.

Nick Alexander was not only a happy trainer but a proud father. Daughter Lucy rode Little Glenshee (5/2) to a game victory in the Kerr & Smith Cumnock Vauxhall Novices' Chase winning by a short head from the favourite Up And Go and son Kit produced Clan Chief (25/1) to land the Kerr & Smith Glasgow Iveco Standard National Hunt flat race by six lengths.

And Lucinda Russell saddled The Friary (5/1), ridden by young Derek Fox to win by a head from Irish raider Mister Philson in the Imperial Flyer Handicap.

Next up at Ayr is the two-day totepool March meeting on Friday and Saturday 7 and 8 March, which is sure to be a good meeting coming just before Cheltenham.

For further information please contact Iain Ferguson on 01292 294972 or 07795 565691.

Ayr Racecourse and the associated Western House Hotel are Founder Members of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle.

Turnberry, the Luxury Collection Resort in Ayrshire, has collected a national food award for the highly regarded James Miller Room, an intimate contemporary dining room with a strong focus on sustainability.

The Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) presented the James Miller Room restaurant with an award for Society at their annual national awards held in London.

[Pictured: Turnberry executive chef

Munur Kara in the James Miller Room.]

The restaurant, named after the architect who designed Turnberry, was chosen as it achieved a higher score in social responsibility than any of the hundreds of other restaurants participating.

The James Miller Room was particularly applauded for its work with the local community in Ayrshire, raising money for a number of local, national and international charities including a local hospice, a nearby primary school and UNICEF.

Jordi Tarrida, General Manager of Turnberry Resort (pictured above) commented: “We are very proud of our efforts engaging our restaurants with the local community. We run very popular associate training courses on environmental awareness to educate our guests on nutrition and diet as well as arranging a number of familiarisation visits to our local suppliers.

“Being sustainable is a way of life at Turnberry. As well as promoting sustainability within our restaurants, we look to emphasise it throughout the whole resort - from our energy consumption in our spa to the work our greenkeeping team do on our Championship golf courses. It is very encouraging that the SRA agree we are heading in the right direction with our work in the James Miller Room.”

Mark Linehan, Managing Director of the SRA, said: “This restaurant situated within one of the top resorts on Scotland’s west coast, puts people at the heart of its operation. Consumers tell us that they want restaurants to tell them about all the sustainable things they are doing and the James Miller Room makes a point of doing just that, making it a worthy winner of this award.”

The award was presented by Raymond Blanc, President of the SRA, at Roast restaurant in Borough Market.

Turnberry Luxury Collection Resort is a Founder Member of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle.

Sunday, 23 February 2014

The affordability of renting a home in rural Ayrshire has been highlighted by new statistics from Scotland’s leading independent property consultancy CKD Galbraith.

The firm, which has a dedicated lettings division within its 14 offices across the country, compared rural and urban rents across six locations – Ayr, Cupar, Galashiels, Inverness, Perth and Stirling.

Despite a widely held perception that rural rents tend to be more expensive, CKD Galbraith found that the difference in cost between rural rents and their urban equivalent was quite narrow and in some cases, rural renting was cheaper.

Last year, the firm as a whole let almost 1000 properties and found that the average rent of a three bedroom family home in rural areas was £618 per calendar month – a fraction cheaper than the urban average of £621pcm.

In Ayr, 55 per cent of the properties on CKD Galraith’s portfolio are rural lets, with a three bedroom home costing on average £571pcm, £63 less than its urban equivalent, a saving of £700 a year.

Joyce Smart (pictured above), of CKD Galbraith’s lettings department in Ayr, said: “A common perception amongst the tenants we meet is that a rural home in Ayr will cost more to rent than urban properties but our research highlights that this isn’t always the case and that there is often a good, affordable option for those who would consider rural living.

“The quality of life in rural Ayrshire, especially for those who enjoy outdoor pursuits, has always attracted prospective tenants and we think these statistics will encourage more to consider moving away from an urban setting.

“There are factors to take into account, such as the cost of transport when living in a rural location, but this can often be balanced against other expenditure. Many of our rural properties are becoming increasingly energy efficient and we see huge interest in properties with features such as wood burning stoves that can save tenants a huge amount of money on their energy bills – money which can be used to offset other costs.

“However, the main thought that the relative scarcity of rural properties in comparison to urban homes will drive up rental prices is not borne out by our statistics and suggests that tenants who would like to enjoy a rural idyll could achieve it within their budget.”

The firm is Scotland’s largest and leading rural consultancy managing in excess of 1 million acres of land across the country.

CKD Galbraith provides the full range of property consulting services across the residential, commercial, rural and renewable energy sectors throughout Scotland. The partnership also enjoys a successful relationship with its associate firm in London, CKD Kennedy Macpherson.

THE EDITORThe Editor of Ayrshire Scotland Business News is Murdoch MacDonald, a graduate of Magdalene College, Cambridge University, where his journalistic contemporaries included John Simpson, now World Affairs Editor with the BBC, and Alan Rusbridger, Editor of the Guardian. Murdoch MacDonald has been in the public relations industry and a freelance journalist and broadcaster for more than 35 years.He has handled the PR accounts of many top Scottish companies, including Royal Bank of Scotland, Standard Life, John Menzies, Kwik-Fit and Barratt Homes.

He has hosted his own family finance programmes - "£s, Pence and Sense" on Radio Forth and "Moneywise" on Scottish Television.He now runs Ayrshire’s top PR consultancy Fame Publicity Services.

Wherever you are in the world, no other public relations consultancy, PR firm or publicity company can offer you a better or more cost-effective worldwide news distribution service, combined with search engine optimisation techniques that will drive customers and qualified sales leads to your company's website.

Murdoch MacDonald is also managing director of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle, an association of some of the top companies in Ayrshire.Telephone: 01292 281498E-mail: Murdoch@eliteayrshire.com

Murdoch and his wife Lilian (pictured above) have written a book called "Phoenix in a Bottle", describing how they overcame alcoholism and are now, contrary to conventional wisdom, able to drink alcohol responsibly again. "Phoenix in a Bottle" is published by Melrose Books price £16.99 and is now available worldwide.Reviewing the book, eminent American addiction expert Dr Stanton Peele PhD commented:

“Phoenix in a Bottle is a modern version of The Days of Wine and Roses, and tells the true story of how two people who entered a period of desperate drinking stayed with one another in a close loving relationship, and emerged from their alcoholism able to drink responsibly again.

“Both a wonderful love story and a challenge to conventional wisdom about how people can recover from drinking problems, Phoenix in a Bottle gives people hope, and helps them to confront their own demons - alcohol or otherwise.”

And now "Phoenix in a Bottle" has been selected as a set text by a top American university.

“Phoenix in a Bottle” by Lilian and Murdoch MacDonald will now be required reading for all doctoral students in a psychology programme at Alliant International University in San Diego, California.

Alliant International University, headquartered in San Diego and San Francisco, California, was formed in 2001 by the merger of the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) and the United States International University. Alliant has 6 campuses throughout California and also runs programmes in Mexico City, Hong Kong and Tokyo. The California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant is one of the premier psychology schools in the US, and it counts roughly half the licensed clinical psychologists in California as its alumni.

Dr. Gary W. Lawson is Professor of Psychology at CSPP. He says: “I adopted Phoenix in a Bottle because the dilemma this couple struggled with and the questions they ask themselves are like so many others I have encountered in 35 years of clinical experience treating addictions.“However, nowhere in addiction literature have I seen these issues examined and explained as well as Lilian and Murdoch do in Phoenix in a Bottle.“I also recommend Phoenix in a Bottle to many of my patients as well.”

You can buy "Phoenix in a Bottle" by Lilian and Murdoch MacDonald online now direct from Amazon UK (click on book cover image below).